Connected Hearts
by LiddoAiren
Summary: Just moments of Maple Story lovers together.
1. Nightmares

**Wanted to write something nice. Please read and review! You can be harsh in your reviews if you want, it'll help me become a better writer.**

* * *

It was awfully early in the morning. Perhaps too early for many to call it morning, especially Phantom. However, for some reason, he found it hard to fall back asleep, especially after waking up from a nightmare. A nightmare that he himself prevented.

Although it was only a nightmare, the images replayed in his mind. He remembered seeing her, wrapped in the embrace of Shinsoo's burnt wings. Her robes tattered, her chest unmoving, her entire body limp.

He remembered hearing Shinsoo's voice.

 _Ugh...Phantom...they were...too powerful…_

He remembered calling out her name in the in the rain, uncaring that he had dropped his famous hat. He remembered hearing no response.

Before he knew it, he felt a tear drop from his eye, bringing him back to reality.

Next to him, alive and sleeping peacefully was his lover. The ever beautiful empress of Ereve. His life and joy, his greatest heist, and his reason for living. The moonlight shined on her face, highlighting her smooth blonde hair and her delicate pale skin. Phantom then rubbed his hand softly of her face, feeling her smooth, soft skin; so soft that it felt if he applied only a teeny bit of more force, she would break. Her breaths were rhythmic and her face peaceful, as if taking in comfort of his presence.

" _That's right…"_ he thought. " _I made it in time. She's still here. With me. She's okay…"_

Taking in all of her features, Phantom wrapped his arms around her slowly and tightly, as if loosening his grip would cause her to fly away from his grasp.

"Mmm…" she mumbled, shifting her body to nuzzle into his neck and wrap her arms around her lover's body. Seeing her so...alive and real, Phantom felt his heart ease, and eventually lost himself to sleep.

He didn't know how long it had been, but he felt the weight of Aria's body shift almost imperceptibly in his arms as he felt a warm pair of hands bushing against his biceps, trying to loosen his grip.

Suddenly, the nightmares flashed again in his mind.

" _No...she's going to leave me...don't go...DON'T GO!"_

No sooner had Aria released herself did Phantom instantly sit up and latch onto her hand.

"Don't leave…" he said breathlessly, uncaring that his voice was shaking. "Please…I don't want to lose you."

Aria remained silent. Almost in shock at her lover's loss in composure. He was always so cool, so calm, so collected, along with always smiling. Seeing him like this...so scared and desperate, it broke her heart.

Wrapping Phantom's hands in her own, she pulled on it, bringing him closer until her forehead touched his. His breaths were rapid and irregular and his forehead hot. Slowly, she brought their lips together, pressing a long kiss to his lips to bring him out of his torment. She kissed him softly before pulling back, waiting, and repeating the process until she felt him calm down. She then wrapped her arms tightly around him until she heard him sigh.

"It's okay...I'm still here." She then felt him bury his face in her chest. "I'll always be here. Because you were always there for me."

"But...if I hadn't made it in time...I-"

She then held his face in her hands and brought her index finger to his lips, effectively shushing him.

"Shhh...don't think about that. I'm here. That's all that matters."

Aria had dedicated her life to Phantom a long time ago. When Phantom was there to bring light to her life. When Phantom had protected her from an attack from the Black Mage's commanders under the pretense of a peace treaty, she swore. If losing sleep meant keeping her lover calm and safe, she'd gladly trade away all of her sleeping hours.

"Where would I be without you?" Phantom whispered.

"Well, if there's one thing I know, I'd be dead."

"So would I."

Aria kissed her lover again, pushing on his shoulders and bringing him back down to the bed they shared.

"Go back to sleep honey. I'll need you by my side in the morning."

Phantom then smiled softly as he closed his eyes. Relieved to see her lover back to his old self, Aria also lost herself to sleep.

* * *

 **Yeah...I don't often write fluff. Hopefully I'm not too noob at it. XD**


	2. Breakfast

**Some Freud and Mercedes this time. Please read and review! You can be harsh in your reviews if you want, it'll help me become a better writer.**

* * *

 _~sizzle-sizzle~_

The pancakes and hash browns were already set and stacked on a plate. All that was needed was to finish up the scrambled eggs and bacon, and breakfast would be complete. As the bacon simmered, its rich aroma filled the air, undoubtedly catching the attention of many elven citizens as he caught their eyes through the window staring his way. Many children also gathered near the window to observe him cooking. He waved to them as they came by. Well, with the children there, perhaps he should cook some for them next time.

Years of living alone had helped Freud become self sufficient, and as such developed his culinary skills to a very high degree. More often than not, he'd hear his wife boast to their friends that he made the best breakfast. Not willing to argue with her, all he could do was smile and rub his head nervously as she showered him with praise.

Grabbing a small spoon, he scooped up a bit of the scrambled eggs and took a bite.

" _Hmm...they're bland. Ah, I forgot! The salt and pepper!"_

Grabbing them from the shelf, the sprinkled them on the scrambled eggs and gave them one more taste.

" _Ahh, perfect."_

Lost in his cooking, he failed to hear his wife's yawn and jumped as her warm arms wrapped themselves around his waist and head rested on his back.

Turning off the stove, he turned around to face the younger woman, noticing she was still in her nightgown along with her ruffled hair and droopy eyes. No words could describe how beautiful she was.

"Good morning, my queen." he said, pressing his lips to her forehead.

At that moment he realized what was going on and hastily pulled down the covers of the window, preventing anyone from seeing how they spent their mornings together.

He then heard his wife grumble and felt a pinch on his cheek.

"We're in private," she hissed, "And you know I don't like you calling me that. Or anything that makes me sound like I'm superior to you."

Freud chuckled at her sensitivity as he played with her pointy ears.

"Ah, I forgot I'm sorry." He then leaned into her ear and whispered, "Will you forgive me, my dear _Mercedes~?_ "

At the sound of her name, she buried her face further in his chest. Freud knew she did this to hide her blush. Kissing her on both her ears and cheek, the then put his hand under her chin to bring her face up so he could kiss her lips.

"Come, let's set the table and eat before the breakfast gets cold."

They then sat and ate in comfortable silence.

Finishing up his last bite, Freud rested his chin on his palm and watched as his wife helped herself to some healthy seconds and thirds, noting her features. Her sapphire blue eyes that almost looked as if they were glowing, her beautiful pointy ears, her flawless pale skin and the way she licked the chunks of bacon and eggs off her mouth. He could stare at her all day if she permitted it.

Taking note of his staring and empty plate, Mercedes swallowed.

"You should eat more, dear. Eating too little for breakfast isn't healthy. You need energy to help yourself get through the day."

"Oh but I am still eating breakfast," Freud smirked. "Instead of eggs, bacon, pancakes and hashbrowns this time I'm having a combination of blonde, strong,noble, beautiful and talented. A healthy combination if you ask me."

Freud then inwardly pumped his fists as his wife flushed an even deeper shade of red. He had been saving that phrase for a while and he was glad it worked.

"F-Flattery will g-get you nowhere…" Mercedes stuttered.

"Oh? But isn't that what I've been doing ever since we first met? And look where we are now!" Freud laughed.

Mercedes then hurried and wolfed down the rest of her breakfast before putting the plates in the sink and rushing back into their bedroom, most likely to get ready for the day. Freud figured it'd take a while before she came out so he started doing the dishes first.

" _She really enjoyed her breakfast. That's good."_ Freud thought, as he noticed all the plates were clean of ingredients.

Freud sighed as he put the last of the dishes in the drying rack*. Right as he turned around he found himself pushed to the counter of the kitchen. He noted that this time Mercedes was clad in armor, a fierce look in her eyes. Mercedes then grabbed his face and pulled him in for a deep kiss and only let go when she found herself falling short of breath. Despite this, her grip on her husband's face remained tight and fire remained in her eyes.

"When I'm done for the day…" she whispered in a menacing tone, "I expect you to be ready in bed by nine. Am I clear?"

Although still smiling, Freud inwardly gulped in nervousness. He knew this look. This was the look of a queen who wouldn't tolerate failure. And he of all people knew better than to disobey her.

So menacing. So beautiful.

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

 ***Yes, I know it's called a dishwasher, but I've never used it as such. It serves better as a place for drying dishes and utensils anyway. :P**


	3. Retirement

**A LotusxXenon pairing this time. This was originally a chapter on my old story, MapleStory High School, but I accidentally deleted the document for this chapter so I had to rewrite it. Hopefully it's better than it was before.**

 **Please read and review! You can be harsh in your reviews if you want, it'll help me become a better writer.**

* * *

The prodigal captain's loud and powerful voice rang throughout the Edelstein town hall. His face was stern and his posture firm and unwavering. Fellow soldiers and their families, high class citizens of Edelstein, newspaper employees all crowded the town hall to witness Captain Xenon Noble's farewell address as his military service was now over. All of their faces stared intently at the 22 year-old soldier as if looking away would cause a him to burn a hole through their chests. The people listened intently as if they needed to take in every bit of advice that would leave the captain's mouth.

"Take pride in your hometown...take pride in yourself…"

He was meticulous, making sure he gave everyone a firm glare as if he was addressing them individually as he spoke. Everyone saw him as the epitome of an ideal soldier. Tirelessly fighting for his home and beliefs and never afraid to face danger.

However, Lotus was not "everyone" and unlike "everyone", she could notice the minor details that her boyfriend was hiding. It also helped that she sat in the front so she could see him up close. His right cybernetic eye seemed to lack its usual bright blue glow, his left arm, his mechanical arm, was slightly shaking and behind the podium she could see him constantly crossing his legs. As were the perks of being the soldier's girlfriend of seven years, it was easy for her to conclude that he was exhausted beyond belief. Catching his stare, she could see his face soften as she stared back, and could only smile reassuringly before he moved on to another.

After a few grueling minutes, she finally heard him say "thank you" and rushed to his side as he slowly walked down the steps of the stage. Wrapping her arms around his as they walked down, she used her free hand to block out reporters and photographers as she tried to find someplace quiet. Thankfully, fellow soldiers General Irvin and Major Darian stepped in to help.

"Make way, make way!" they both shouted. "The captain will not be answering any questions at this time!"

She nodded to both of them in thanks as she brought her lover to an empty room and closed the doors, blocking out everybody else. She heard him sigh in content as he leaned his back to the wall and closed his eyes. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she crashed her lips against his, and was glad to feel his arms wrap tightly around her and his tongue entwine with hers with equal ferocity. Much to her sadness, it didn't last long enough as Xenon quickly ran out of breath.

"You need rest, love." she whispered as she leaned her head into his chest, hearing and feeling his slow, rhythmic heartbeat.

"Could you...take me home?" exhaustion showed in his voice as he whispered back much quieter than her.

Lotus then nodded as she planted a chaste kiss to his lips. "You didn't even need to ask."

Taking his hand and bringing him out through one of the exits of the hall, she then called for her limo. Within a few seconds, her limo arrived and together they entered with their hands still entwined.

"Good evening, mister Xenon and madam Lotus. Where to?" the driver asked.

"Take us home please, Wonny."

"Of course."

No words were said during the ride as the two lovers were just glad to be with each other again. Xenon slowly grabbed Lotus by the arm and brought her head down to his lap so he could stroke her short silvery locks. Lotus sighed in content as she felt his soft, smooth, nonmechanical hand make its way through her hair.

The last few months had been lonely for her, as Xenon had been called to duty, making the time they spent together cut short by a large amount. He started leaving the mansion early and coming home close to or past midnight. Despite not seeing each other for the majority of the day, they always called each other on the phone, telling each other about their days and making sure they were well. But it wasn't enough. Without her lover by her side, the days at the office just felt...empty. And she constantly worried about Xenon's safety. Was he eating enough, did he get enough sleep if at all? Her fears then reached their peak when she received a call from Darian. His tone was somber as he talked about the accident, stating that there was a malfunction and Xenon had been caught in an explosion. He didn't need to say much else as Lotus soon broke into tears and cut herself off from everyone. Even her own company. It wasn't until the following morning when she received a phone call from a familiar number. Hastily picking it up, she broke down again, this time in happiness when she heard an all too familiar voice. The two then talked for hours with Xenon apologizing for being away for so long, and Lotus telling him that she'd wait forever if she had to.

"I love you so much." She said between tears.

"I love you more." he replied, his voice also slightly shaking.

"No you don't."

Those days were past now. This time they were together... _together_. Nothing was going to separate them ever again. Before she knew it, Wonny had brought them home. Thanking and tipping Wonny as he exited the car, Xenon then put one arm behind Lotus's back and one arm behind her knees and carried her, eliciting a small yelp from her as he did so. Carrying her bridal style as he went past the doors and up the stairs, he laid her down gently on the bed they shared and dropped face down on the bed immediately after. Lotus giggled at her lover's immediate change in demeanor and sat up to massage his stiff back. She heard grunts and sighs of pleasure as she moved down and loosened up his stiff muscles. She continued massaging his entire body until she was interrupted by an unwelcome sound.

 _*RINGALINGADING!* *RINGALINGADING!*_

"No…" she whined.

 _RINGALINGADING!* *RINGALINGADING!*_

"Please go away…"

 _RINGALINGADING!* *RINGALINGADING!*_

She then heard Xenon sigh as his hand reached for the phone in his pocket.

Slapping his hand away immediately, Lotus grabbed the phone herself.

"Get some rest love," she said, "I'll handle this."

Tapping her finger over the bright green phone emblem on the screen, she brought the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" she said in a stern voice.

"Hello! This is Sergeant Major Belle calling for Captain Xenon Noble?" a female voice on the other side of the line said.

"This is Lotus Schwarz..."

A muffled curse made its way through line. Unintimidated, Lotus continued.

"And the captain won't be available until…" Looking down at Xenon's tired form, she gave a final answer. "I say so."

"B-but we're planning on celebrating his departure from the military! Surely the wait won't be long?!" the voice sounded desperate.

"Whether or not it's long all depends on how patient you are." Lotus replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll take back what's rightfully mine. Thank you and good day."

* _Beep_ * She then hung up, and turned off Xenon's phone.

"I'll probably get in trouble for that." Xenon chuckled as he felt his girlfriend's chest on his back.

"For what? Your term is over. They can't get you for anything. Besides..." She then pecked him on the cheek. "From now on, nobody takes you without my permission."

* * *

 **It's been my headcanon that Lotus is a girl ever since I heard her voice in KMS. I also believe that the description for Orchid's bunny doll at one time also labelled Lotus as a sister instead of brother. Since then, I've been sticking with girl Lotus since and will only make Lotus a boy if I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO.**

 **So...yeah, if you guys are confused on why Lotus is a girl in this story...here it is.**


	4. Apples and Oranges

**Fellow author NekomimiToree wrote a response fic to the first chapter of this fic and the fic made me sad so I wanted to write something happy. This is all your fault Neko! I hate you! XDDDD. Just kidding, you know I love you. Platonically of course.**

* * *

Claudine sat by the edge of the floating island of Ereve, recently having finished a meeting with the Maple Alliance. Her legs hung out freely and as she stared at the open sky along with the clouds and lands below. In one hand she held a knife which she used to cut a slice out of an apple she held in another. Bringing the slice to her mouth, she inwardly squealed as the sweet taste of the apple swept through her mouth. To her, there was no fruit better than the apple.

"Be careful not to fall off."

She yelped, nearly losing her balance and dropping her apple into oblivion. Angrily turning around, eager to reprimand her daydream intruder, her face immediately softened when she saw who the source of the male voice was. Nevertheless, she was still angry.

"You scared me!" she growled.

"Oh? I thought you told me nothing scared you." he replied.

Claudine flinched. It was true. It happened during one of the many arguments she had with the tactician in the past. While she couldn't remember what they were arguing about, she could definitely remember saying something along those lines. It was a lie that, through her words and actions, she was able to convince others of, even herself, for a while. That is until now. How the heck did _he_ remember that?

"May I?" he asked, gesturing to the spot next to her.

"Did you even need to ask? It's not like I own this place." she scoffed, moving aside to make room for him to sit.

"Did you even need to move? There's an abundance of space here. Or are you not comfortable with me around?" he asked back.

"That's not...look, are you going to sit or not?" she asked, this time annoyed with his attitude. Though what did she expect? He has always been like this.

Looking away, she could hear the ruffling of his robes as he sat down and swung his legs over to the edge. It took him about a minute to get comfortable as he busied himself adjusting his robe. She eventually took his sigh as a sigh of content.

Wordlessly, she cut a slice from her apple and handed it to him.

"Hm?"

"It's for you." she sighed. "Or are you too good for an apple?"

"Oh. Thank you." he said with such softness and gratitude that it made her heart flutter.

She watched as he examined the slice as if examining a jewel. He then nibbled it a few times before deciding it was safe to eat and put the entire slice in his mouth. His lips slightly puckered and eyebrows furrowed as he chewed.

"Don't tell me this is the first time you've eaten an apple." Claudine said, astonished by his actions.

"I've had one before...though I don't find myself fond of them."

Her eyes widened and she stood up. "What?! But they're the goddess's gift to the world! They're both sweet and juicy along with crispy and crunchy! How could you say such a thing?!"

Despite her rant, Neinheart remained unintimidated and calmly replied. "I find myself favoring oranges more."

"Ugh oranges? They're too citrusy and soft. How could you like them?"

"My hometown had an abundance of them and every day my sister and I would harvest some to eat together. We always loved their slightly sweet and sour taste. To me, there's no fruit better than the orange." Claudine noticed Neinheart wasn't even looking at her as he spoke. He seemed distant, almost as if reliving the memories where he and his sister were still on good terms and doing everything together.

"Well whatever. Apples are still totally better." Claudine said, sitting back down, albeit closer to the tactician this time.

Neinheart slowly exhaled as if he had argued over the issue several times in his life."Oh I beg to differ. Perhaps I should bring some next time. Provided Lilin lets me return of course. You'll understand soon."

"Hmph. Fine. But be ready to be shut down." Claudine said, leaning into the tactician's shoulder. To her relief, he did not object and instead wrapped his arms around her waist.

"May I?" he asked once again.

Facing him, she saw his aqua orbs stare back into her own turquoise. It took her a while to understand, but when she did, she nodded, keeping her eyes locked on his as he removed her hat and mask.

Setting aside the mask, his lips curved up as he brushed her hair away from her eyes.

"Beautiful."

At that one word, Claudine felt her heart rate quicken and returned to leaning her head on his shoulder to hide the blood rushing to her face.

Neinheart then returned to brushing her hair as they both sat and stared into the distance.

"Thank you." he eventually whispered.

"For what?" she asked.

"For the apple. It has been...a while since anyone has offered me anything. I think the last time I was offered anything was when my sister offered to share her orange with me. Though those days are long gone now."

"Not even your knights? Empress Cygnus?"

"I've been strict around the knights for so long. I guess they're too intimidated to offer me anything for fear that I'd reprimand them for slacking on their training. As for Cygnus, I've always told her not to worry about me and just focus on being the best empress she can be. Perhaps I should...loosen up...a little bit."

Claudine chuckled lightly. Yes, it sounded very much like something the tactician would do. She was also glad he was willing to change. She also wondered if it was her who was causing him to change. "Perhaps."

The two then remained silent for a while, content with just their proximity. Both of them wished that the moment could last forever. But they both knew all too well that things had to come to an end somehow. At least they had some time to enjoy the moment before it ended.

"Can you believe it?" Claudine asked. "Just a year ago on the Black Heaven we were at each other's throats…"

"Indeed." Neinheart replied. "I wouldn't have believed it either, but now...I have no regrets."

Claudine nodded in silent agreement, happy to know he felt the same way she did.

Slowly, Claudine wrapped her arms around Neinheart and nuzzled into his neck. As a result, he bent down and gave her a long kiss on the lips.

"Sweet. Just like apples." he smiled warmly.

"I thought you didn't like apples?" she asked, smiling back.

"I'm willing to get used to the taste.

* * *

 **Please read and review! You can be harsh in your reviews if you want, it'll help me become a better writer.**


	5. Hot Business

**Some more Freud and Mercedes. Not really connected to "Breakfast" and characters may be OOC.**

 **Anyway, please read and review! You can be harsh in your reviews if you want, it'll help me become a better writer.**

* * *

Mercedes watched as her husband started arranging the papers on his wooden desk in the library. The few days prior had Freud spending the majority of his free time on his reports of a new land he had recently discovered. Now that he was finishing up and organizing his papers, it was easy to tell the day of departure was just around the corner. She continued watching as he stretched his arms and back, his red T-Shirt highlighting his surprisingly toned biceps and back muscles.

She furiously shook her head. Now wasn't the time to think about such things.

Although he never outright stated it to her, the years of staying by his side had keened her instincts. She knew that Freud only ever looked so focused and excited when he made new discoveries. However, new discoveries often meant new benefits along with new consequences. For this matter, a new land meant there would be new resources but also new monsters. Freud was a strong man. Mercedes knew that more than anyone else, and it was one of the many reasons why she fell in love and married the mage. And of course with Afrien by his side, she knew he'd survive the trip. However, that was why she worried. Surviving the trip didn't necessarily mean he would come home unharmed, and more often than not, Freud would come home either heavily scathed or bleeding profusely from an area near a vital organ. She would still shudder at the memories, especially the incident where his line of work brought him home with several arrows lodged in his side. Although Afrien had suffered worse, seeing Freud like that nearly made her faint and for a few days she locked him up in the room they shared, preventing him from doing anything without her permission. Many times she wanted to tell him to stop. She wanted to tell him that the books he had published already made him more than enough money to support the kingdom for at least a decade. She wanted to tell him to stop exploring and just stay with her and be by her side, but she knew it was wrong. It was wrong and selfish to stop him from doing what he loved, especially when his departures were rare and never long, and especially because he never demanded anything of her.

Deciding not to think about it further, she quietly left the entrance of the library and walked to their bedroom. She needed something to get her mind off the worries. Scanning the room, she paused when she saw the her golden harp left unused. Yes, that was a good idea. It had been a while since she had played it.

Using her bare hands to dust it off, she then held it by her side as she gently plucked the strings, playing a melody that her mother and elders had taught her when she was young. She then started to hum the tune, closing her eyes as she lost herself in the music. She didn't know how much time had passed, but by the time she finished, she found her husband staring at her as he leaned by the door frame, giving her the warmest of smiles.

"That was lovely." he said.

Those beautiful blue eyes, that warm smile, and the tone that radiated so much honesty…it wasn't fair. How did he always give her butterflies?

"H-How long have you been there?" She finally mustered.

"I came as soon as I heard you sing. Your voice is beautiful like always." he replied.

"Oh, don't flatter me. I hadn't played for a long time, so my skills and voice are still rusty."

"No, no. I meant it. Truly." Freud kept his icy blue orbs locked on his wife's sapphire as he sat down beside her and stroked her hair. "You know there's never a moment where I don't want to hear your voice."

Mercedes turned away and almost scoffed as it was hard to tell whether or not he was honest with his compliments since he did it so often, but eventually fell victim to her husband's intoxicating touch and leaned into him.

A few minutes passed until she finally came to a decision. "Just a moment." she said as she forced herself to leave her husband's side and rushed to her closet.

As always, her husband waited patiently as she did whatever she needed to do. It wasn't until a few seconds later that she emerged from the closet in what seemed to be a new nightgown. Like many of her other clothes, the nightgown was white and decorated with golden embroidery. However, unlike most of her clothes, this particular nightgown had a plunging neckline, which served to highlight her ample cleavage. Scanning her figure even further, Freud also noticed it was short enough to the point where it hardly covered her…

He then let his eyes slide downward for a brief moment before immediately turning back to her chest andherface! Yes, yes, her smooth, delicate and beautiful face. Freud mentally slapped himself as he tried to push out his indecent thoughts.

Unfortunately, Mercedes had caught him staring, and smirked as she pinched the ends of her nightgown and lifted them up a couple inches.

"Do you like what you see?" she asked.

"O-Oh! Er…*ahem* Yes, you look...beautiful...a-as you always do of course." he replied. It took all of her strength not to burst out laughing as her husband leaned down and used his arms to cover the area below his waist. Oh, he was so cute.

"Well…" she said, as she climbed on the bed and positioned herself to be behind her husband. "How about I give you a massage?"

She didn't know much about massages, but she figured it wouldn't be hard to loosen up the stiff muscles to at least help him sleep better before he departed.

"Hmm...alright." Freud answered, now sitting up straight and no longer covering his waist. "I'd like that a lot." From behind, Mercedes could see a small smile form on her husband's lips.

She smiled happily as she grabbed her husband by his shoulders and started rubbing and squeezing them gently. She took his hums of pleasure as a sign she was doing something right, and slowly moved down to his back, admiring his toned figure as she did so. Was he always this muscular? Well, not that she was complaining. It only made him look more attractive, and she didn't even think he _could_ look more attractive than he did now.

She then used her knuckles and drew loops with them as she moved down his back, feeling his hard muscles. This time Freud's sounds of pleasure grew louder as he grunted and moaned. Once she felt she had covered every area of her back, she leaned in, having her chest touch his back as her smooth arms slowly made their way under his shirt and around his bare body.

"Your hands are wandering your highness," Freud gave a breathless laugh as he felt her warm and soft chest rub against his back and smooth arms slithering around his body. He was glad she was behind her as she wouldn't be able to see his undoubtedly red face. She was feeling rather bold today.

"I know they are." She whispered as she nibbled on his ear. "You seem to be enjoying this as I don't hear any complaints."

"Indeed." Freud shakily whispered back.

"I know you're leaving soon." The elf queen said in a quiet tone. "So I wanted to make this night special before you go. But I'll understand if you're not in the mood to-"

Before she could finish, Freud immediately turned around and pressed his lips against hers. To his pleasure, his wife wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him even closer, kissing him with more ferocity. Freud knew this game, and waited until she spent all of her energy before striking back. As always, Mercedes let go first, catching her breath and licking the saliva that had connected their two tongues. Not giving her any more time to recover, Freud immediately rushed to the bedroom door and closed it before gently pushing her down on the bed and throwing the sheets over them.

"Let's make this night an unforgettable one." he whispered, as he used his hands to greedily explore the elf queen's curves.

"Yes dear…" she breathlessly whispered. "I'm all yours."

The two then did their best to quiet their voices as the room was filled with only noises of love and pleasure as they became one at last.

* * *

Freud groaned as the sunlight touched his face. He spotted his wife sleeping by his side and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Mmm…" she stirred, wrapping her arms tightly around her husband's bare body as she yawned. She blinked a couple times before recognizing her husband and smiled warmly.

"Good morning." she said, pulling herself up to meet his face. "Last night was...so _good_."

Freud chuckled. "Only good? Oh my, why is a queen so hard to please?"

This time Mercedes outwardly scoffed and laid down on top of her husband, contenting herself with slowly drawing circles on her husband's chest.

"Last night was _amazing_." she reaffirmed. "And when you come back, I demand a repeat performance."

"Of course your highness. Your wish is my command." They then shared a brief kiss.

…

The mage then continued laying on the bed with his arms around his wife. Thinking about it now, where was the rush? He wasn't on a time table, and he had already made more than enough money. Afrien also seemed to enjoy settling down in Elluel. The exploration could wait.

Immediately switching positions so Mercedes was laying on the bed and he was on top, Freud gave his wife another kiss, this time deeper than the two they shared earlier.

"You said you wanted a repeat performance?"

* * *

 **Huehuehue. No scene for you guys ;P. Trying to keep it at a T, and I also don't think I'd feel comfortable writing the scene anyway. I'm too much of a coward.**

 **Currently editing Reverse Tale right now, and I'll be out of the country soon so updates may be slow. Sorry about that and see you guys soon.**


	6. Injuries

**Some Eun-Wol(Shade) x Aran this time ;). I ship these two as hard as I ship Phantom x Aria. Which is pretty hard by the way. Still, Freud x Mercedes will always be my #1.**

* * *

Aran winced as she felt the bandages tighten around the area full of red slash marks that ran along her foot. These were the last to be applied, as Eun-Wol had already finished patching up her arms and torso. She glanced nervously at her husband, who refused to meet her eyes and focused solely on bandaging her foot.

"Done." he said stiffly as he put the roll back in the first aid kit and put back the kit into the medicine cabinet. Before he could walk away, Aran quickly grabbed hold of his hand, gripping it tightly so he couldn't pull out of her grip. Although he tried to pull away, eventually he gave up and settled on giving her a stern look.

Slowly standing up, Aran pulled him into a tight embrace, rubbing her face on his chest. To her dismay, he refused to return her embrace, and upon looking up, she saw his stern look refusing to disappear.

"I'm sorry…" she finally said, using one bandaged hand to cup his face and another to brush away his smooth black hair from his dark violet eyes.

"For what?" he asked, his quiet voice betraying his narrowed eyes.

"For not resting. For not listening to you and training even when I was already hurt. For...worrying you." Aran swallowed hard and took a shaky breath. It was harder to say those words than she had expected.

To her relief, Eun-Wol locked his arms around her, keeping her in a tight embrace.

"How could you do that?" he harshly whispered. "How could you train knowing your body was still injured?"

"I'm sorry…" Aran said again, this time tearing up as she did so. "I was scared...I was so scared I wouldn't be able to fight again…"

"And was all that worth injuring yourself even more?! For making me worry?!" Eun-Wol said, the shakiness in his voice displaying so much vulnerability, a sharp contrast to his usually calm and collected self.

"I'm sorry!" Aran yelled, this time the tears streaming down her face. Before she could say anything else, however, her husband pulled her face in for an urgent kiss and kissed her with all the love and ferocity he could muster. In return, she kissed him back with equal if not more love and ferocity, determined to win the battle and show that he'd never love her half as much as she loved him.

Pulling away reluctantly and out of breath, Eun-Wol once again locked his lover in a tight embrace.

"Please...never do that again. I thought I lost you, and I can't...I can't lose you."

"I won't go anywhere. I promise."

* * *

 **Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Please read and review! You can be harsh in your reviews if you want, it'll help me become a better writer.**


	7. Change

**Please read and review! You can be harsh in your reviews if you want, it'll help me become a better writer.**

* * *

"What's wrong, still nervous?" the dragon man asked, standing by the piano where his horned but tailless lover sat motionless.

"I'm just afraid they won't like it." she said, her face lined with worry. "You know how it goes when artists change their style and sound. They always lose some fans because it isn't what they're used to." She then began tapping on the piano cover as if trying to calm her nerves. Her album had already been finished. All there was needed was to release it.

Of course, it didn't take a genius to see why this was a problem. People became fans when they liked what they heard, and fans were mainly what made an artist successful. Sometimes artists changed and if the fans didn't like change, they left.

Tear had been known for her looks, cheerful personality, but mostly her pop tunes and lyrics. Some of her most famous songs were about unrequited loves, making trouble with school friends, and other topics that attracted young teenage audiences; all songs she had written and sung when she was younger.

Now, however, she wasn't young anymore. Well, wasn't _as_ young anyway, being hardly over twenty and all. Instead of a pop sound, her new album contained mainly soft piano melodies and acoustic sounds with lyrics addressing old grudges and her feelings of loneliness and depression during her time as an idol, along with a song about how her lover helped her overcome those feelings. If she was being honest, this album was the one she was the most proud of, but she was scared her fans would be shied away by the sudden change in lyrical content and sound.

"Well, you can always attract new fans, right? It's always good to expand your audience." Kyle said, taking a seat next to Tear, bringing her head into his shoulder.

Latching onto her lover's arm, she sighed. "I also want to keep my old ones too, you know? I don't want people to go because of my change."

"Tear, you're growing up. We all are. Your fans are no exception. People change and grow in and out of things as they get older." Kyle brought his arm around her waist as he gave her a peck on the head. "I'm glad you didn't stay with your old pop sound. When I saw you recording your last album, it felt to me like you were forcing yourself to indulge in things you didn't care about anymore. When you were recording this album, however, I never saw you more honest and happy with yourself. You were able to freely use your voice and musical talent however you wanted."

Kyle faced Tear and rubbed her cheeks softly. "I know you want to please your fans. But you yourself have to be happy if you want them to be happy. Besides, even if you didn't change, some fans would still leave anyway. Nobody wants to keep hearing the same sound over and over again. Even if some leave, I'm sure they'll come back when they're older and understand you more."

At Kyle's reassurance, Tear sighed in relief. It was during times like these that made her feel so lucky to have him by her side.

Together they sat by the piano, embracing each other and content with the silence before Kyle finally sat up, heading to the kitchen to prepare something for dinner.

As he stirred the sauce, he felt his wife's head rest itself on his back.

"When I go on tour...will you join me? I have some songs on the album I've always wanted you to duet with me."

Kyle smiled.

"Sure thing."

* * *

 **Geez, how could I have held off on these two for so long?**

 **Anyway, ya'll are more than welcome to make requests! Although I can't promise I'll go through with them.**


	8. Powers

**Some Kinesis and Yuna! Finally, a pairing that isn't so tragic. Well, besides Tear and Kyle anyway.**

 **Please read and review! You can be harsh in your reviews if you want, it'll help me become a better writer.**

* * *

The purple-haired vice president of the student council kept her eyes focused on the stack of books currently sitting on top of a table, slowly aiming her palm at them as she stared. Immediately, wind was felt throughout the room and ever so slowly, she raised her palm a few centimeters. In response the stack began to levitate as her hand moved up.

She then took a deep breath and moved her hand to the left and towards the bookshelf at a snail's pace. While the books moved in the same direction of her palm, they were behind a few paces. Yuna added more force to her hand in an attempt to keep the books in pace with her palm. She couldn't afford to lose concentration now. If she did, it'd put all of her hard work and dedication to waste.

As luck would have it, the student council president entered her field of vision as he stood by the bookshelf admiring a black chess piece. Those mesmerizing eyes, that cocky, yet reassuring smile, and that posture. Oh, how it made her weak. As a result, her heart rate quickened and her thoughts were thrown into shambles. Old memories resurfaced, especially one pertaining the time they first held hands.

Of course, with her thoughts in shambles, the books began to fly around in varying patterns and directions, knocking over several action figures and lamps. The sounds of chaos bringing her thoughts back to reality, she immediately forced herself to look away from him and took several deep breaths, calming herself down and in turn, her powers as all flying objects immediately fell.

Luckily, before they could touch the ground, the president activated his powers, keeping all the books, lamps, and action figures afloat before returning them to their original positions. Jay wasn't a very nice person when his things were ruined.

"You were so close!" the president said with eyes full of pity.

"No thanks to you!" she venomously grunted before slumping down and sighing in defeat, exhausted from hours of training.

"What happened? Is everything alright?" he asked, sitting next to her and bringing her head to his shoulders.

Yuna's brow furrowed, but she eventually gave in and leaned into her boyfriend.

"No. But they will be if you stay like this for a couple more minutes."

Sometimes he could be infuriating with his lack of attention, but with moments like these, she was reminded of all the reasons for why she fell so deeply for him. While he was clueless, cocky and downright annoying, she knew he cared. And if she-

"You've been quiet for some time. Are you still mad at me for saying hi to that girl on the streets?"

…

"You know what? Let's get back to training." she declared, standing up immediately. A powerful gust of wind could be felt as she stood up.

"Really? Great!" Kinesis exclaimed. "Let me get the books for you."

"No need. I think I found myself a new target. You say my powers are fueled by my emotions, right? Well then with this target, it'll be fine."

"Great! Well then, I'm ready when you are."

"Ohoho. You better be. I'll make sure to enjoy this."

* * *

 **Well, it's been a few weeks since my last update hasn't it? Honestly, there's not much else for me to say other than sorry. College has started again and right now it's taking all of my attention. As a second year student, classes are getting more difficult and now I'll have to spend more time studying than I do writing. Of course, I'll always try to squeeze in some writing time, but in college, you can never study enough. As a result, story updates may occur probably within a few months if I'm lucky.**

 **That's all I wanted to share. Hopefully you guys are still reading when I come back.**


	9. Curse

**Whew! Haven't written a chapter this long since "Hot business"! Huehuehue...nothing like that happens here though.**

 **This chapter takes place in an AU. Perhaps even in the same universe as my first chapter, "Nightmares".**

 **Please read and review! You can be harsh in your reviews if you want, it'll help me become a better writer.**

* * *

The master thief secured his mask over his face as he silently rushed out of the Ereve library. Despite being one of the biggest libraries in the world, the information he had been desperately looking for wasn't here.

Feeling hopeless and on high alert, pain made its way to his heart, causing a loud gasp to escape from his lips. He tried his best to regulate his breathing, to ease the pain, but he knew it was a mental and emotional problem. Tightly gripping his chest, he took silent steps to the exit of the island, hoping the sense of relief would remove the invisible needles stabbing his heart.

" _Foolish…_ " he thought to himself.

His mind clearing slightly, he then became aware of his surroundings. He was still within stone walls, with light blue and white drapes blocking the sun's light from shining through the windows. There were no knights in sight, and only the ticking of a clock could be heard in the distance. Based on these details, it was most likely morning.

Jumping clear to the spaces between windows while juggling excruciating pain at the same time, he mentally applauded himself for not being caught yet.

" _Almost there._ " he thought, feeling anxious as his heart started beating faster.

Right at that moment, the pain became unbearable and immediately he collapsed to the ground.

As his body met the ground, he could hear the sound of footsteps approaching from behind.

" _Move. Please move._ " he commanded himself. " _Don't let yourself be caught._ "

The probability of himself escaping without being caught now dangerously low, he dared himself to look behind to see who was approaching. Immediately he wished he hadn't.

"Halt." No more than twenty feet away stood the Empress of Ereve. The woman who believed in a peaceful world. The woman who was his greatest prize. The very same woman who had captured his heart.

From the dim light shining through the curtains, he could see her still in her nightgown, with a blanket wrapped around her upper arms, exposing her shoulders. In her hands she held a small sword. Despite her hair being ruffled, she still had the same piercing blue eyes behind her fierce gaze just as he remembered her.

She looked so beautiful.

Although she held a weapon at the ready, she kept her distance and eyes locked on him. They were analyzing him, taking note of any potential movements, as if she were a hogul observing prey.

Standing up slowly, the masked and cloaked master thief leaned on the wall for support as he slowly widened the gap between them.

"Halt." the empress said again, this time with more authority. Based on the figure's build and height along with the grunts she heard, he was undoubtedly male. Could it be? No, it wasn't possible. She dared not cling onto hope. That day, she lost him to the curse inflicted upon him by the Black Mage. That day, she had lost nearly all reason to live. Eventually, thanks to Chromile, she steeled herself and picked up a sword, asking Chromile to train her to give her the strength to protect those she loved. She thought she had locked all of those emotions away. But for the possibility of this man to be...everything resurfaced in a rush.

The master thief noted her approaching steps. They were slow, caution evident in her movements, her fierce gaze now replaced with one of curiosity. Oh how he wished he could take off his mask and reveal himself to her, but if she saw him in his current state, what would she think?

"That hat. Where did you get it?" she inquired, using her blade to point to the accessory on his head.

Oh no...he had completely forgotten about the hat given to him by his master. That was bad. Very bad. He needed to escape. He didn't know how well Aria wielded a sword, but he was in no condition to be in an altercation.

"Speak!" she commanded, her patience thinning rapidly.

"It's...mine." he replied in a cracked voice.

At the sound of his voice, the empress released her grip on her sword, letting it fall to the ground, and cupped her mouth in shock.

"Ph-Phantom?!" she cried out, eyes reddening and tears falling. Was her mind playing tricks on her? Was this all a dream? Even if it was, she wasn't about to lose this opportunity. Immediately, she dashed forward and locked him in a tight embrace, making sure she wasn't dreaming.

"You're here! Oh Goddess, you're here!" she cried, as she nuzzled herself into his chest.

Phantom's eyes softened from behind his mask as he returned her embrace, no longer having the strength to escape from her any longer.

"I missed you, Aria." he said softly.

Slowly stepping back from her lover, she gazed into his mask, a hand rising to remove it.

Immediately, Phantom remembered his purpose, and immediately turned away.

"Phantom?" she asked.

"I'm sorry Aria...I must go."

Aria stared in disbelief. Why!? Why was he leaving when they were only just reunited?! This wasn't right!

"Phantom, I don't understand!"

"Aria please, I can explain!"

Furious, Aria rushed back and grabbed her sword, pointing it at her lover.

"Who are you?" she demanded, her cold demeanor returning.

"What?" Phantom stared in disbelief at her hostility. "Aria, it's me!"

"Don't you dare lie to me! The real Phantom would never leave me behind without a word!" She said, the last sentence in a quiet tone, almost as if to hold herself back from crying.

With no other options left, Phantom closed his eyes and slowly removed his hat and mask, revealing everything to her. Hearing the sound of a sword dropping to the floor, he opened one eye to take a peek and saw the reaction he expected.

Aria's eyes stared in horror. Phantom...he was so pale. His red eyes reminded her of the terrifying look of the Black Mage, and there were black marks etched all over his face, as if his face was a cracking shell. Slowly making her way back to her lover, Aria cupped his face, feeling his cold temperature. It hurt. It hurt so much to see him like this.

"What happened to you?" she whispered.

Refusing to meet her gaze, he whispered back.

"The Black Mage still lives, Aria. He is alive, sleeping within me."

Her world seemed to have stood still. No. How could this have happened? Why? Why did it have to happen? And out of all the people in the world, why Phantom?

Aria then felt her knees buckle and fall to the floor.

…

"How long?" Aria forced herself to ask. "How long has it been since you've returned?"

Out of all the questions, why that one? But he had already revealed himself to her already, and she deserved to know. He couldn't hide anything from her any longer.

"Three months…"

Aria started sobbing. "Three months? And you didn't even think about letting me know?"

"I'm sorry…" Phantom whispered, even quieter than before. "I didn't want you to see me like this. I didn't want anybody to see me like this."

"Freud, Mercedes, Aran, Luminous, Eun-Wol...they're still sleeping." he continued. "I've been traveling the world…trying to find an answer. Trying to find a way to break the curse and to separate this blasted mage from my soul. Magatia, Ariant, Ellinia, Ludibrium, even here…"

"What have you found?" Aria asked, standing up again.

"Nothing. No clues. No hope! And as time passes by, I feel him getting stronger. Regaining his strength to take over my body." he choked out.

"You find a way…" Aria whispered, cupping her lover's face with both hands. "You always do."

Phantom closed his eyes and elicited a dark laugh, covering his eyes to prevent Aria from seeing his tears. "You know I...I was planning on hiding and investigating for as long as I could. Until I no longer had any strength left to resist. If that time came...I would've asked you or Chromile to end it for me. Perhaps then he'd be gone forever."

 _ ***SLAP!***_

Phantom immediately felt a stinging sensation on his face. Immediately after he felt himself tackled to the ground and locked in a passionate kiss.

"How dare you…" she growled, tears once again falling down her cheeks. "You make me suffer through months of believing you gone only to show up again and ask that I make it so? This isn't the Phantom I knew. The Phantom I knew would never let the people he loved end their lives." Aria planted another kiss on Phantom's lips for good measure. "And I'll be _damned_ if I let you."

Before Phantom could make out any response, Aria quickly shushed him with another kiss. One kiss eventually became two, and soon after became more than either cared enough to count.

Soon, all of Phantom's resolve to leave vanished.

"Are you still willing to be with me?" he asked.

"Why would you even ask?"

"My love, it's not that simple-"

"You're wrong. It _is_ that simple. No matter how strong the Black Mage gets, you will always be the man I love. Phantom, I have waited for you for so long, and you're here now. Please don't make me wait any longer."

" _Please_." Aria begged.

"Argh, how could I ever say not to you?" the master thief asked, finally allowing himself to smile.

"Then?" she asked, her eyes full of hope and desperation.

"I'll stay." he said. Although doubtful about his future, all that mattered to him now was the fact that his lover was willing to be with him.

Aria's eyes immediately filled with joy and relief, as she locked him in one more passionate kiss.

"No matter where you search, I'll make sure I'll be there with you."

"And from now on, I'll never leave you again."

* * *

 **Finally finished taking two out of the four midterms I am to take! Since I have a little break in between them, I wanted to use some free time to play MS and write again.**

 **Still working on Reverse Tale and MapleStory Academy. I'm hoping to at least have a chapter from both of them out before the year ends so...yeah! I guess you guys have that to look forward to.**


	10. Just Hanging Around

"Lumi dear, what are you doing?" Lania asked, amused to see her husband hanging upside down, his foot tied by a rope attached to a tree branch.

"Well...you know. Just hanging around." he replied in a calm voice, seemingly unconcerned that he was hanging upside down and perhaps a bit proud of his line.

Lania giggled at his witty comment. "I can see that. What I want to know is how you managed to let yourself get caught. What happened to all those claims about being the most intelligent mage around?"

Luminous groaned. Lania never missed an opportunity to rub salt in the wound.

"Why is there even a trap here, anyway?" he asked.

"That's simple. I planted it here." Lania replied.

"You planted it? Since when? What for?"

"Oh, just a few hours ago." Lania then placed her hands on her hips, proud of herself for accomplishing the task.

"Just a few hours ago? But here's the route to the pond...and you told me to go fish!"

"And what of it?"

"Considering that no animals cross this path...that means this was a setup to trap me. What for?"

"For this." Lania then grabbed her husband by the cheeks, pulling him in for a kiss.


	11. Forgiveness

**Merry Christmas Eve everybody!**

 **Sorry I've been gone so long. I've been studying for my exams and just finished them not too long ago. Now I've been panicking over the results ever since I've finished. Even as I write this XD.**

 **Please read and review! You can be harsh in your reviews if you want, it'll help me become a better writer.**

* * *

There she was, standing by the meadow. While the image of wind curving the blades of grass was certainly a beautiful sight, her swaying dark purple locks easily put those blades to shame.

Hayato watched as she stood still, the wind waving her hair and robes, her hand moving across her face to brush away the strands that entered her field of vision.

He approached her slowly and nervously, in hopes she wouldn't be able to hear his steps over the sounds of wind and grass. Seeing as how she made no movements as he inched closer, he felt he was doing it right. After a few more steps he stopped short of her, standing a few feet away, scared to approach too close.

"Kanna…" he whispered, allowing the wind to carry his voice over to her ears.

The once still woman turned her head slightly, but not enough to bring him in her field of vision before turning her head back to the plains.

Unable to bear it any longer, the samurai cleared his throat and bowed.

"I'm sorry...for whatever it is I did."

He had spoken a little faster than usual, worried he'd stutter if he had dragged it out longer. He was never one who claimed to be a master of apologies

To his dismay, Kanna didn't respond.

After a few minutes of silence Hayato raised his head curious to see if she had reacted, only to have it forcefully pushed back down.

"Don't get back up." the woman said in a stern albeit shaking voice. "I have not yet forgiven you."

Hayato complied, thankful she had even acknowledged him.

"You do not know why you are apologizing, yet you do so regardless. Why?" she asked, her tone making it seem like one wrong word would have her sending angry spirits his way.

"Ever since that time we've never really talked and lately…" Hayato mustered up some strength to move his torso up, only to be forced back down my Kanna's strong hands.

"I noticed you had been avoiding me. You're right, while I don't know what I did wrong I just don't want us to live the rest of our lives with this rift between us. I want us to go back to when we were comfortable in each other's arms again." he finished.

The weight on his head suddenly disappeared, and immediately Kanna fell to her knees, her hands covering her face as she sobbed.

"You're so selfish Hayato." she said between sobs. "Our soldiers are more than capable of handling themselves on the battlefield, yet you always throw yourself out on the front lines, uncaring for your own well being."

"Kanna…"

"You always place a huge burden on yourself...and sacrifice only yourself in battle. Why do you never stop to consider how others might feel? How I might feel? We need you, Hayato."

Tears streamed down Kanna's face as she spoke, her voice becoming quieter as she went on.

" _I_ need you. What am I supposed to do when you won't let me fight by your side?"

"I'm sorry." Hayato bent down and slowly moved closer, cautiously enclosing her within his arms, afraid she'd smack him away. When his hands had finally touched her back, he breathed a sigh of relief, feeling her lean into his chest for comfort.

"I'm sorry for being selfish. I'm sorry for leaving you behind. I just…"

Hayato felt a lump in his throat. Coincidentally, his eyes suddenly became watery. Why was sucking up your pride and admitting you were wrong so difficult?

"I just couldn't bear seeing you hurt." he finished in a shaky voice. "Thank you...thank you for being by my side. I love you, Kanna."

He then lifted her chin up to kiss her forehead. Before he had the chance to look her in the eye he felt Kanna's hands behind his head, pushing him in for an urgent kiss. Kanna turned her head to the side to deepen the contact, pouring all her love into a single kiss and only let go when she felt her lungs cry out for oxygen.

Kanna then sat up, allowing their foreheads to touch. "I know you're stronger than any man on this camp. I know you tell me not to worry about you, but for me that's never an option. When I heard you volunteer to take on Princess Sakuno alone I was so scared I..."

Hayato put a finger to his lover's lips, silently telling her she no longer needed to worry

"Please...please don't scare me like that again."

"I won't. I promise."


	12. Tie

**Please read and review! You can be harsh in your reviews if you want, it'll help me become a better writer.**

* * *

"Umm...Lania dear, could you help me, please?"

Luminous peeked nervously into their shared bedroom, seeing his lover brushing her light blonde hair while humming to herself a tune they often heard playing in the market.

Looking at the reflection in the mirror, Lania noticed her lover peeking and gave an exasperated sigh as she ushered him to take a seat on the bed they shared. Straightening the last of her strands, Lania walked over and inspected the problem, seeing a long silk rope in his hands.

"You still can't tie a tie? Goodness, Lumi dear. You've been alive for so long yet you still can't even do the simplest of things. What's worse, this is a man's task! Come now dear, it wouldn't hurt to just learn how to do things on your own now would it?" Lania huffed, putting her hands on her hips.

Luminous looked down in shame and grumbled something inaudible.

"What was that, dear?" Lania asked, a big smile crossing her face as she leaned in closer to her lover.

"...it was different time periods…" Luminous replied, hardly above a whisper.

Lania chuckled. "Right, and I bet you tell yourself the same thing when you go music shopping as well. I'm sure learning how to play a piano must have been _very_ difficult as it took you a whole hour to pick it up."

Her lover grumbled again, this time more audibly, making her laugh out loud as she finished her work.

"And here I thought people, especially boys, matured with age. I guess I was wrong. You're growing wiser, but in all the wrong areas."

"Dear, you're unusually harsh today…"

Lania huffed. "Don't I have the right? You didn't even-"

Remembering what he had forgotten to do earlier that day, Luminous rushed in and attacked her lips, effectively silencing her. Eager to make it up to her, Luminous kissed her once again for good measure.

Lania's eyes lit up and gleamed as she saw her husband's blushing face. She giggled as he looked away.

"Much better." she said. "Now come on, we'll be late for their wedding."


	13. Rest

**Please read and review! You can be harsh in your reviews if you want, it'll help me become a better writer.**

* * *

"You shouldn't be up."

The Ereve tactician made no indication that he had heard the doctor as he sluggishly made his way towards his desk, where all his papers were.

"Neinheart." Claudine said, this time raising her voice and blocking the tactician's way. As she looked him in the eyes, she could see them being full of desperation. Here was a man willing to throw away his physical well being just to accomplish his goals. To make matters worse, blood could be seen staining and spreading through the white strips of cloth that covered his body.

He wasn't well. Despite all that, the tactician continued to move forward.

Raising his head to meet the doctor's glare, Neinheart could easily see Claudine was in no better condition. While practically unscathed, bags could be seen weighing down her worried, bloodshot eyes.

"The world is in danger…" he whispered, almost as if he had no strength left to use his voice. "We are in danger…"

"Yes we are. That's why we need you at your best. Not the way you are now." Claudine said sternly, firmly grabbing his shoulders and pushing him back, careful not to harm him.

Neinheart's head rocked back and forth from the sudden application of force and Claudine watched in frustration as he tried to readjust his monocle. She had enough.

"You need to stop pushing yourself! What use are you if you can hardly walk the short distance from your bed to your desk?!" she exclaimed.

"They don't need my body, they need my mind." he simply replied.

"What use is your mind if you yourself can hardly function?! Look at yourself! Anyone who sees you the way you are now will never let you on the battlefield!" Claudine raised her voice with every word, desperate to subdue the tactician.

Oh, who was she kidding? He was stubborn just as she was, maybe even more. He knew this. She knew this. And perhaps that was the reason why they were so drawn to each other.

But now, she hated it.

"Then I will think of a plan for them to execute without me. That way, I can still be of some use."

No longer willing to fight, Claudine angrily ruffled her hair and threw her hands downward.

"Damn it, Neinheart! Then tell me what I have to do!" she exclaimed, no longer having the strength to stand up to him.

Neinheart, having almost fallen from the the doctor's thunderous voice, watched in disbelief as the doctor fell to her knees and wept. Slowly and shakily, he bent down to grab her by the arms. To raise her up and get her back on her feet. However, with every move he made, he felt his muscles cry out in agony.

"Stand up, Claudine." Neinheart said softly, regret lining his voice.

When the doctor refused to rise, Neinheart gave in, finally bending down to embrace her, only to have her push him away.

"What do I have to do to make you listen to me?" she said, between tears.

Trying again, he approached the doctor slowly and wrapped his arms around her. To his relief, Claudine made no move to push him away and instead leaned into his chest.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" he whispered into her ears, making sure Claudine had heard them. Removing her glasses, he used his fingers to wipe her tears away himself.

"Neinheart, _please._ " the doctor begged, her voice shaking as she returned the tactican's embrace, "Stop pushing yourself. It's doing you more harm than good."

"I'm sorry." he said again. "It's just...I've done so many terrible things. The Empress, the Cygnus Knights…Lilin…"

Neinheart took a pause to swallow as he spoke. For some reason he face started to strain and his eyes became moist. It became difficult to speak.

"...You."

Neinheart took another pause, this time to take a few more shaky breaths.

"I...I've pushed you all away because of my selfishness. Because I was afraid of getting attached during times of war. I-I thought that if I had died...nobody would care."

His grip around the doctor tightened as he spoke, and as a result the doctor did the same.

"Oh Neinheart, we do care." Claudine spoke softly. "If not for you we wouldn't have won against the Black Heaven. If not for you alerting us of the World Tree, we wouldn't have been able to save it. We need you…" the doctor whispered into his ears.

"I need you."

At those words, the tactician felt the weights on his heart disappear, as did his resolve.

No other words were said as they helped each other back to their feet and walked hand in hand to the bed they shared on Ereve. Wrapping a blanket over the both of them, Neinheart smiled as he stroked the doctor's hair, watching as she lost herself to sleep. He wanted to stay awake for as long as he could as he laid with her. How could one enjoy the other's company when he was sleeping? But soon, Claudine's peaceful face enchanted him as well, and he too closed his eyes.


	14. Sorrow

**Please read and review! You can be harsh in your reviews if you want, it'll help me become a better writer.**

* * *

Everything hurt.

Her stomach ached and growled in hunger.

Her throat felt parched.

Her unused muscles cried out in agony.

But she didn't dare get up.

What day even was it today? Well, not like it mattered. Knowing wouldn't speed up her death.

There had been moments where Eun-Wol would come over and leave a kiss on her cheek and try to get her to eat something, but she never replied. Eventually he left to go to the markets, much to her relief.

How?

How did he do it?

How could he still love her?

Opening her eyes for what felt like the first time that day, she squinted as light filled her vision. She could almost feel the rays attacking each and every vein in her eyes. Great, even light was harming her now. Then again, maybe she deserved it.

Then, out of nowhere, she felt him. She didn't know how, but she just _felt_ him.

She gripped the blankets, wrapping them tighter around herself until it became difficult to breathe. She didn't want to face him. Not when she was like this.

" _ **Yeobo**_." he said, in his usual calm and quiet voice.

She didn't move or respond, hoping he'd assume she was asleep and go away for a while like he always did.

But then again, years of living together had taught the both of them the in's and out's of one another. She knew that he knew she had heard him. Still, she had hoped he'd fall for it at least once.

"You haven't eaten at all today. Get up and eat something. Please?" he said, after a few minutes of rubbing his hand affectionately over her covered face.

He was pleading.

He never pleaded.

Guilt flooding her entire being, she finally resigned and nodded her head. Somehow forcing her body into action, she sluggishly swung her feet to the sides of the bed and sat up, her feet finally touching the carpet floor. She stumbled as she tried to stand, almost falling back into the bed but managing to keep herself upright. Dragging her feet, she started to make her way to the bathroom they shared, pausing as she noticed the pictures on top of the counter.

She grabbed the one closest to her and rubbed her hands over it to clean away the dust. Within the frame was the captured moment before their final battle. She remembered shoving that chicken drumstick into his mouth. She told Eun-Wol numerous times to get rid of it, yet somehow he found it as his most treasured memory. Out of love, she allowed him to keep it.

The other one was taken after their awakening. They were bloodied and bruised, but smiled happily as they, along with many others, eliminated the world's biggest threat, the Black Mage. Re-examining the picture, she noticed he only had one arm around her.

And then she remembered.

She remembered being expended of mana.

She remembered sitting there helpless as the Black Mage's scythe made its way towards her.

And she remembered him moving in the scythe's path, screaming in agony as she saw his entire arm chopped off.

Everything happened all at once. Panic took over her, causing her to drop the picture and fall to the ground shaking and gasping.

 _Pathetic._

She gripped her arms, trying helplessly to silence the dark parts of her mind.

 _You couldn't protect him._

"No…"

 _You don't deserve to be loved._

"Stop it...please." she pleaded, digging her nails deeper into her skin.

 _You worthless piece of trash._

 _You're better off dead._

 _You waste of space._

She felt blood drip from her wounds as she dug her nails deeper into her skin, but she didn't stop.

They were right. She was weak.

It would be better if she just disappeared.

 _Yes, that's right. Bleed._

 _Feel the pain he felt._

Before she knew it, tears flowed freely down her face and her entire body dropped to the ground.

It was her fault.

And now she was paying for it.

She didn't know how long she had been crying, but before she knew it, she heard the doorknob rattle. In a desperate attempt, she immediately let go of her arms and rushed over to grip the door handle. Even if he managed to unlock the door with a key, he still wouldn't be able to open the door.

"Aran!" she could hear her husband yell.

"GO AWAY!" she yelled back through her tears. Even so, the doorknob continued rattling.

"Please…" she begged as her strength began to fail, causing her to lose her grip on the handle. "Don't look at me."

The door finally opened, and immediately she felt herself being embraced by Eun-Wol's right arm. The only arm he had left.

She yelled and cried, using all her strength to push him away, but his grip held firm.

"I'm here." he said softly, brushing her messy white hair. "I'm right here."

She pushed and punched, but not once did he let go. If anything, he only tightened his hug. She didn't know how long it had been going on, but eventually she resigned to his embrace and buried her face in his chest.

"I'm right here…" he repeats.

At that moment, she releases everything. All her sorrows, all her fears...everything she bleeds, he takes and keeps. She locks her bloody arms around his neck and holds on for dear life, uncaring that her blood soaks into his hair and neck.

Eun-Wol whispers sweet nothings into her ear as she cries. It is nothing new to him. Ever since the war, ever since he had lost his arm, she often had these episodes of sadness. Sometimes they would last a few hours. Sometimes a day. Sometimes a week. And every day he was always by her side. Sometimes he would sigh in relief, knowing that despite missing an arm, he was at least useful for something. But even so, it didn't make it any less sad.

He didn't know how long it took, but eventually all her screams and wails became small little whimpers.

Slowly, Eun-Wol moves his hand to her face, wiping away her tears.

"It's not your fault…" he whispers.

"Yes it is…" she whispers back, her grip on him tightening. She wanted to. She wanted to believe that everything he said was true, but the facts were right in front of her.

"No. It isn't." he says firmly.

"Yes it is!"

Immediately, he places a hand over her lips, effectively silencing her. Slowly removing his finger from her lips, he looks down at her arms. Sadness washes over him as he notices the nail marks. Moving to the medicine cabinet, he removes the gauze from the first-aid pack and gently wraps it over her arms. He then gently brings his face down, touching each of her covered wounds with his lips. The process is slow, but he does not stop until he covers every wound.

"Please don't look at me…" she whimpers.

"Why not? Why would you hide your beauty?"

She turns away, too ashamed to look at him.

"I'm so useless! All I do is harm you!" she yells, pounding her fists into his chest.

"Aran-"

"No!" She interrupts. "If it weren't for me you wouldn't have to live like this! Each and every day people whisper things about you! Children fear you! You can hardly fight anymore! And…! And-"

She stumbles on her words as she tries to finish, but the words get stuck in her throat. Once again, tears flow freely down her face.

"Aran…" Once again, she finds herself locked in a tight embrace. The undeserved feeling of comfort is overwhelming, almost as if it's a lie.

"I should've just died…"

"No. Don't you dare say anything like that ever again."

"But-!"

"Aran. Look at me." Bringing his hand slowly to her chin, he gently moves it as to make his amethyst orbs meet her sapphire. "Nothing is your fault. Even if I could turn back time, even if I could change how everything went, I wouldn't dare. In fact, I would gladly lose my arm and more if it meant seeing you safe and alive."

Every word is said firmly and with authority, but beneath that harsh exterior, she senses a softness within his tone that she knew he only used on her.

And just for a brief moment, she believes him.

...

For a while there is silence, as if the two are lost in one another's beauty.

"Do you remember the wedding vows we made? The words we changed?"

She nods.

He waits.

"We promised…" she starts "...to love...to have and hold, from the day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health…"

" _Even after death do us part."_ Eun-Wol says in unison with his lover.

Once again, Aran finds herself in a hug.

"I love you, Aran."

"I love you more, Eun-Wol." she whispers back, capturing his lips with hers and pouring out all the love she had for him

And once again, she cries.

Not out of fear. Not out of sorrow. Not out of hate.

But out of love.

Out of the knowledge that even after everything, they would be alright.


	15. Complications

**Trying my hand at a Soulmate AU. Hope ya'll like!**

* * *

Ark paused before reaching the reaching the laundry hall. No, she knew he enjoyed it far too much. To him it was therapeutic, being able to cleanse the dirt off the servants' clothes and the blood off the soldiers' armors. There was a certain feeling that came with washing them clean until they were spotless. He couldn't really explain it, but a calm feeling always washed over him whenever he performed such tasks. Perhaps it was a good way to help him get his mind off the numerous battles he had participated in.

Since she knew all that, she was likely ready to pounce long before he arrived. If things were different he might've welcomed it.

He then shook his head of such thoughts. Regardless of how he felt, there had to be a way to get around her.

Walking past both the kitchen and laundry room, he crossed paths with the palace's head engineer, Illium. They both greeted one another with head nods, having little else to say to one another in such tense times.

Just then, an idea popped into the soldier's head.

"Ah, just a moment Sir Illium." he called as they passed one another.

The head engineer sighed at the soldier's formal address of him. "Seriously Ark, must you always do this? Haven't we been friends long enough to avoid addressing each other so formally? Just call me by my name!"

Ark cleared his throat, slightly ashamed to be addressing one of his childhood friends in such a formal manner as if their friendship was nonexistent. He was right, they were long past that stage even before they came to the palace.

"Sorry about that, force of habit. Anyway I was hoping you could help me out a little?"

Illium closed the book he was reading and turned to face his friend. It was rare of him to ask him for any favors. If anything, this might've been the first time.

"Sure. Fire away."

Ark cleared his throat once more, trying to get his thoughts together. Asking for favors was something he was never really good at. One of the many reasons why he always avoided it.

"Well...you're on your way to clean the library, right? I was hoping you and I could trade places just this one time. You know, you do the laundry and I clean the library instead."

The winged engineer raised an eyebrow, perplexed as to why his friend would make such an unusual request. Going through all the possible reasons within a second, he finally understood and nodded.

"Sure thing. Though, you're gonna have to face her eventually." he said, before turning back and making his way to the laundry room.

"Thank you very much." Taking a 90 degree bow, the soldier then merrily made his way to the palace library. He felt a pang of guilt trading places with Illium over something he didn't know how to approach, but at least the princess and Illium got along fine. He was sure there'd be no problem in the end.

Yes, this was a good plan. She was smart and knew he enjoyed doing laundry and dishes, but if she knew he'd purposely switch tasks and avoid her, she'd have to look through a tens of other rooms in the palace to find him.

Stepping foot into the library, the scent of pages immediately invaded his nose. He recoiled a bit, unused to the sharp smell but eventually it withered away as he ventured deeper and grabbed the cleaning supplies. Putting on a mask and using the duster, Ark marvelled at the amount of dust the shelves had collected within only a week. Particles flew as he moved the duster across the shelves, but he found satisfaction in knowing they wouldn't be dusty for long. The full bookshelves towered over him, reminding him of how much he had to clean. Still, he promised himself he'd complete the task. When it came to cleaning, Ark left no nook or cranny unnoticed.

A few minutes passed and he found himself deeper within the maze of books, occasionally grabbing one to skim over. He'd always found himself a fan of romances, as they had given him hope that regardless of who or what he was, there'd always be someone out there, waiting to love him. He'd hope that one day he'd find someone to love as well.

He chuckled at the thought. A price to pay for not being careful for what he wished for.

No sooner did the thought run across his mind did he hear footsteps approaching him from behind.

"Done already, Illium?" he asked. "That's fast even for you."

"I had help."

The soldier stiffened and nearly fell off his latter as he heard a familiar female voice combined with a posh accent. Knowing who it was, he sighed and turned to face the source.

As usual, he found Princess Cadena dressed in traditional Novan royalty clothes. Her pinkish-red hair was neatly braided. Courtesy of one of the maids no doubt.

"And here I was feeling guilty for trading places with him." he chuckled.

"Don't be. He was a great help. Thanks to him, I was able to leave early." She wasn't grinning, but he could feel a mixture of confidence and irritation in her expression as she faced him. "You see, the problem about you is that you don't think far enough. If you really wanted to do it right, you'd send a random maid to come help. Not one of your best friends. You know, the guys who always tell you to face your problems head on. Thanks to Illium I was pointed in the right direction."

"Duly noted." he sighed, knowing he had lost. Illium, that traitor.

"You can't avoid me forever, Ark."

"No. But you can't keep tailing me either."

"We are destined to be together."

"They're just tattoos that appeared on us the moment we laid eyes on each other..."

The soldier then slapped himself mentally for being so descriptive.

Princess Cadena's eyes narrowed at him as he said those words. Fine then, if he wanted to play it that way…

"Then tell me I'm wrong. Tell me that we have isn't real."

"Princess Cadena...your father only wants what's best for you."

"You think my father knows me better than I know myself? You think some man who's barely been involved in my life knows who or what's good for me? He set you up didn't he? Tell me the truth. If it isn't, and you genuinely don't love me then say it and we'll be done."

He moved to open his mouth, but somehow the words evaded him. It was as if his throat had clogged itself up.

"Tell me you don't love me."

"I…"

"Go on. Do it." The princess crossed her arms as she stared, challenging him. Ark found himself becoming hypnotized every moment he met her eyes and drawn back to them every time he tried to avoid them. The fact that she was pushing him to say it didn't help either.

"You already know without me telling you."

" _No_." the princess said. It wasn't softly, nor was it loudly, but it still disturbed the peace of the library. "If you want me to know then you will look me in the eyes and say it. Otherwise neither of us are leaving this library."

Ark clenched his teeth as he avoided her fiery gaze.

" _Say it."_

"I...can't!"

* * *

 **Anything you liked? Hated? Please don't hesitate to let me know!**


	16. Destiny

**Another one for Tear and Kyle. Takes place in the same universe as the last chapter ;)**

* * *

There is nobody in the world who doesn't receive a mark the moment they lock eyes with his or her soulmate. Nobody knows how or why such a phenomenon came to be. Despite all the theories that had been brought up, no scientific or magical evidence brought forth was sufficient enough to prove them. Of course, over time, people stopped caring and let things be. Many even looked forward to meeting their soulmate, eagerly awaiting the future that awaited them from the moment on.

But not Kyle. Kyle was scared.

...

Well, "scared" might have been too strong of a word. "Worried" would've been more appropriate.

He didn't like it. He didn't like it at all. It wasn't that he wasn't fond of love. Quite the contrary actually, he embraced it. To him, love in any of its forms was one of the biggest reasons for life's existence in the world. No, it wasn't love that was the reason. It was the concept of a soulmate. The idea that there was someone out there who had been already been chosen for him was something he just...couldn't accept. When it came to love, he wanted it to be true and honest. He wanted to find someone he loved through his own decisions. If the relationship were to fail, then that'd be fine. He'd learn and grow and start over again. That was how life was supposed to be, right?

Maybe that was why it was scary. The one aspect of his life that he wanted control of most was somehow left in the hands of destiny.

All things considered, perhaps he wasn't being fair. He, like everybody else, hardly knew about how the system worked. Was his soulmate determined the moment he was born? Or was she determined through his actions over his life? Maybe he shifted through different soulmates as they grew and changed while being apart. Maybe the soulmate that had been chosen for him at birth might've changed to a different one 400 years later.

Then again, that didn't sound very soulmate-like.

Clenching his fights, he felt his nails dig into his skin, bringing him back from his thoughts. Realizing he was still within the Heliseum castle, he spotted his childhood friend Ark, make his way over to him. He sported his usual calm look although this time without Princess Cadena by his side. A rare sight indeed.

"Something wrong?" the princess's guardian asked the warrior.

Kyle shook his head, forcing a smile. "Nothing, really. Just useless stuff."

His eyes then wandered to his friend's forearm, where what looked like a drawing of a red specter wrapped in chains sat. Kyle figured Ark had already figured him out, as he heard his friend chuckle and cover his forearm.

"Worried about who you'll find?"

Kyle sighed. "I guess you could say that..." Obviously, it was much more than that, but he couldn't work up the energy to spill everything to his friend, even if he wanted to.

"Well, let me just say it's not as scary as you think it is. Sure, her majesty and I may be inseparable now…" Ark chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head. "But the beginning was very rough for us. I won't go into detail to save your time, but just let it happen. And even if things don't go your way, it's not like the tattoo will stop you from living life however you want, right? So give it a chance. No use worrying over something you can't stop, or at least shouldn't try to."

Kyle's fist then loosened, his fingernails revealing cuts on his palm. He winced as he felt the mair make its way into his wounds, but at that point he could care less. Ark was right. At this point, he wasn't doing himself any favors making his life more miserable than it needed to be.

"Thanks."

"Anytime. Well, I better go wake her majesty up and get the training grounds ready." Ark said, sitting up. "Ah! And before I go, here."

"What's this?" Kyle asked, receiving a pamphlet from his hand. Upon opening it, a ticket fell onto his lap. He immediately raised an eyebrow upon inspecting it. "Tickets to Angelic Buster's concert?"

"To help ease your worries. Anyway, I'm off." Ark said, before finally waving goodbye.

Kyle could only stare incredulously at his friend as he disappeared from view. Still, it was obvious Ark meant well. Maybe this "Angelic Buster" would've been a welcome distraction.

* * *

"What am I even doing here?" he mumbled, finding himself sitting within a theater between other concert goers. The room was dark and their mumbles were loud, making it difficult for him to hear his own thoughts. The fact that he went alone certainly didn't help matters either. While others busily chatted amongst themselves about which album was her best, all Kyle could do was sit and wait patiently for whatever was to come. He wanted to leave to end the awkwardness, and even considered not even going at all, but he figured he could do at least this much for a friend. Besides, he was sure the ticket wasn't cheap.

As time went on and the voices of other attendees grew louder, Kyle considered walking out of the theater for some peace of mind until he saw a light shine down at the center of the stage, revealing a girl standing alone. Immediately the theater was quiet, with everyone's attention being drawn to the girl at center stage. Her hair was pink and tied into twintails, and her blue eyes seemed to have been glowing softly along with the rest of her smiling face.

"Well now…" Kyle couldn't help but whisper, mesmerized.

Without saying another word, he sat back down, giving the woman his full attention. It felt as if her charm radiated throughout the theater as she told stories through her songs. Soft melodies accompanying feelings of confusion, insecurity, lack of control, the tales made his heart flutter. Soon enough, he found himself singing along to her songs along with the crowd, almost as if he had been listening to her his entire life. Never before had someone understood him so well.

 _If only she were my soulmate..._

Her eyes scanned the crowd, and it was only for a quick moment that their eyes met, but in that very moment, an indescribable and overwhelming feeling washed over him. His chest started burning, prompting him to clutch his chest and breathe heavily until it stopped. Luckily, the feeling was only brief and when it had finally settled, he inspected the burned spot and instead of a scar, saw an image of a pink dragon wrapped around his Kaiserium.

Suddenly the music stopped. Looking back up, Angelic Buster had risen her arm to the crowd.

"Everyone, look!" she exclaimed, "I've found my soulmate!"

Seared onto her arm was the same exact mark as his.

* * *

 **Writing Tunes: Aurora Borealis by Bohnes.**


End file.
